What is Public Domain Day?

The gifts do not stop after Christmas with Public Domain Day, read more to find out why.

A guest post by Randi Zimmerman of SymphonicBlog.

January 1st is not only the first day of the new year, but it’s also Public Domain Day! On this day, thousands of previously copyrighted works move into the public domain for artists like you to use freely. Here’s everything you need to know…

What is Public Domain Day?

When work goes into the public domain, it opens up new avenues of creativity for today’s artists to explore. That means killer remixes of old school classics, fresh collaborations, and a newfound respect for the music and artists that have come before us.

Thanks to the Music Modernization Act (MMA), all sound recordings prior to 1923 (which is estimated to be over 40,000) had their copyrights expire in the US on January 1, 2022. That means that artists like you are finally allowed to download, sample, reuse or remix any of these recordings without permission and/or paying a bunch of money to do so.

Ultimately, this gives you unlimited creativity to mash whatever you want into something totally new.

What’s new?

A shit ton of iconic classics! Broadway hits, ragtime, the beginnings of popular jazz, Silent Night, early audio works from Shakespeare, classic spoken word pieces, and thousands more. (Literally, 40,000 plus)

As an artist, inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere. Whether it’s an old political speech mixed with a Kendrick Lamar type-beat or a classic Jazz riff that inspires the drop in your techno banger, the sky is the limit.

Ready to get inspired? // Learn more and check out everything the public domain has to offer right here.

Happy creating! 🎨🎶